Polanski

[poliphilo]

I never liked Polanski's work. I saw his early films as they came out- Knife in the Water, Repulsion, Cul-de-Sac. There was something about them that made me feel queasy- migrainey, sick to the stomach.  It was weird.  Art doesn't usually hit me that way. It was as if  they beamed out negativity. 

The last thing of his I saw in sequence was The Fearless Vampire Slayers- the one with Sharon Tate in the bubble-bath. It's Polanski's idea of a romp- self-indulgent, unfunny, really rather tiresome. After that I avoided him.

More recently- because they came my way- I've watched Rosemary's Baby and Macbeth. They didn't make me feel ill-  maybe because my powers of resistance are stronger- maybe because Hollywood didn't give him the absolute control he'd had in Europe.  I liked Macbeth more than I thought I would, though artistically it's a bit of a mess. Rosemary's Baby was undone for me by the absurdity of its ending. They're schlocky films, both of them, a little silly and immature.  It would be nice to think Francesca Annis' nude scene had nothing to do with Hugh Hefner being sat in the producer's chair.

I haven't seen Chinatown. I don't suppose one should come to a final judgement without seeing Chinatown.

Comments

[halfmoon-mollie.livejournal.com]

I suppose his movies will be popular again, because of all this ... publicity. You are way more of a movie enjoyer than I am, I saw Knife In the Water and that was it for me.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I was a very dedicated cinephile in my youth. :)

[halfmoon-mollie.livejournal.com]

I have no taste, I guess. I LOVE old movies, specifically stuff like Prisoner of Zenda (the one with Ronald Coleman, thankyouverymuch) and Random Harvest (also with Ronald Coleman) and Casablanca and Sunset Boulevard. And Night of the Hunter and Death Takes a Holiday (the original, with Frederic March)and Manchurian Candidate (also the original). I seldom care much for what passes as entertainment these days, which makes me sound a lot like an old fart.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

A panel of French film critics recently voted Night of the Hunter the best movie of all time.

I haven't seen everything on your list, but the ones I have are all great films. It seems to me you have excellent taste.

[halfmoon-mollie.livejournal.com]

Night of the Hunter is one of the scariest movies ever made -without an ounce of blood or gore. The implication is what's scary.

Thanks, Tony!